Stratford Boat Club athlete shines at virtual British Rowing Indoor Championships

WHILE most of Stratford BC was happy to be back on the water after four weeks of lockdown, competition racing got back under way at the weekend for one J16 athlete.

The 2020 British Rowing Indoor Championships took place over the weekend, which this year was held online with competitors joining from all over the world by connecting their rowing machines together via the internet.

Tomi Wilcock, from the J16 squad, represented the club in the Year 11 Boys Six Minute Race.

He got off to a measured and steady start before working his way up to 20th at the halfway mark.

Wilcock held off many challenges in the latter stages, finishing a credible 22nd place with a distance of exactly 1,700m rowed in six minutes.

J16 coach Abi Terry said: "Tomi set out with a race plan and stuck to it, achieving a fantastic score on the ergo, despite the difficult conditions, being on his own instead of in front of a crowd cheering him on.

"It's great to get some racing back under way, even if for now it has to be virtually."